From the Sector

International technology group ANDRITZ supplied and recently commissioned a tearing line at Sealy Australia’s mattress manufacturing plant in Brisbane. Versatile technology enables Sealy to recycle post-consumer and post-industrial textile waste in one line.

Sealy is a leading Australian manufacturer of high-quality mattresses, producing 1,000 mattresses per day at its Brisbane plant. To replace some of the virgin fiber feedstock with more sustainable recycled fibers, the company installed an ANDRITZ tearing line at the plant.

The ANDRITZ reXline tearing can process up to 1,200 kg/h of cotton denim waste and up to 800 kg/h of quilt waste. The 6-cylinder Exel module allows flexible switching between the two types of material. The combination of the reXline and the ANDRITZ airfelt line, which has been in operation at the Brisbane plant since 2008, enables Sealy to process large amounts of waste into new mattresses ready for sale around the world.

“With our new line, we are taking a significant step towards circularity by making new mattresses from textile waste that would otherwise be burnt or landfilled,” says Shaun Guest, Fiber Plant Factory Manager of Sealy Australia.”

A sunny yellow shade on a mission to fill our homes with optimism, pride and a splash of vibrant color – that’s True Joy™, AkzoNobel’s Color of the Year for 2025.

Supported by three complementary color palettes, True Joy is the result of extensive research into color, design, cultural, economic and social trends, which identified a desire to make a joyful leap into the unknown, celebrate craftsmanship and embrace who we are.  
 
“In this rapidly changing world, it’s easy to feel uncertain about our next steps,” explains Heleen van Gent, Creative Director of AkzoNobel’s Global Aesthetic Center. “But change creates an opportunity for imagination; a chance to create something even better. With our new Color of the Year and ColourFutures 2025 palettes, we want to inspire consumers to celebrate their roots and creativity and embrace the optimism of moving forward in their homes and spaces.”
 
AkzoNobel’s Global Aesthetic Center has been translating trends into desirable colors for homes for more than 30 years. Its annual ColourFutures trend forecast meeting brings together in-house experts, international architects, designers and journalists to share insights into how our reactions to the world around us impact our color choices. Junior designers and interns were also included for the first time this year, to ensure that consumers from the widest possible age range were represented in the influential Color of the Year decision-making process.
 
Their discussions led to three decorative paint color stories being designed around True Joy to help consumers find the right complementary colors to match their mood and design preferences. The Bold color story urges you to leave your comfort zone and inject adventure into your home with bright and uplifting colors, while the Human color story encourages you to bring creativity into your home by filling it with unique handmade pieces. The Proud color palette invites you to embrace your identity and have the confidence to create a home that’s just as unique as you are.
 
Apart from Deco brands, the on-trend colors, textures and special effects have been designed for other key markets and segments, including aerospace, automotive, consumer electronics, metal furniture, lighting, cabinetry, flooring, and building and architectural products.